1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lever-operated connector assembly which is mainly used for connecting wire harness of an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A large force is required to connect male and female connectors to each other and to disconnect them from each other in a multi-pole connector. Therefore, in recent years, there has been used a connector assembly in which a lever is provided to the connector for connecting and disconnecting operations.
FIG. 5 shows an example of a female connector a of such connector as described above. The female connector a is provided with a pin b at both sides thereof and a guide channels c at a front portion thereof. Reference symbol d shows an operation lever which is integrally formed with synthetic resin material, in which three lever plates d1, d2, and d3 are connected to each other with an operating portion d4. Further, driving channels e are formed on the lever plates d1, d2, and d3, which work in such a manner as to engage pins not shown which are driven through the driving channels and project from a side of a mated connector, and to draw the pins toward the channels e.
An engagement holes f are formed on the right and left lever plates d1 and d2 and the operation lever d is engaged with the female connector a by engaging the engagement hole f with the pin b wyile stretching the right and left lever plates d1 and d2 utilizing a resiliency of the synthetic resin material to use the pins b as supporting points.
However, with the conventional connector described above, since the right and left plates d1 and d2 are engaged with the female connector a while stretching the levers, the efficiency of the work for mounting the operation lever d to the female connector a is poor.